Surgical instrument

ABSTRACT

A surgical, thread holder and stitching device is provided which employs a hollow needle through which a spool or reel of surgical thread is fed. The hollow needle may have beveled ends for cutting the thread and a recess may be provided in the holder to receive a syringe to pass a medicant through the hollow needle. The device is further characterized by including a surgical knife mounted on the needle protector of the device.

9 1 nited States Patent 11 1 11 1 ,840,017 Violante 1 1 Oct. 8, 1974 1SURGICAL INSTRUMENT 3,013,559 12/1961 Thomas 128/340 [7 Inventor:Alfonso n y Violante, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnsurgemessur N1216,4631 772,134 8/1934 France 128/340 F1001 MeXICO Y MeXICO 259,450 41912 Germany 128/340 [22] Filed: Aug. 23, 1972 Primary ExaminerDalton L.Truluck [21] Appl' 283036 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cameron, Kerkam,Sutton,

- Stowell & Stowell [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct: xexico131123 57 CT 133270 Fe mm A surgical, thread holder and stltching device15 pro- 52 us. (:1. 128/340 Vided which employs a hollow needle thmughwhich a 51 1111. Cl .i A6lb 17/06 S11300101 reel of Surgical thread isfeThe hollow 5 Field of Search 12 334 R 339 340 2 5 C118 may havebeveled ends for cutting the thread and 128/232 a recess may be providedin the holder to receive a sytinge to pass a medicant through the hollowneedle. [56] References Cited The device is further characterized byincluding a surgical knife mounted on the needle protector of the de-UNITED STATES PATENTS Vice. 373,372 ll/l887 King 128/340 2,662,52412/1953 Hudgins 128/215 5 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTED 81974 sum1 or 4 FIG. 2

FIG. I

FIG. 3 F|G.4 FIG.5

PATENIEUUET 81974 SHEET 2 OF 4 FIG.

THE INVENTION The present invention is generallydirected to a surgicaldevice and in particular to a surgical thread holder and stitchingdevice and the device may include means for cutting the thread,medicating the wound site and preparing the site for surgical suturing.

In general at the present, substantial time is required to affectsuturing of wounds or incisions since with traditional procedures asmany as three or four independent motions are required of the surgeonfor the preparation of suturing needles.

' It is a particular object of the present invention to provide adevice, the use of which reduces the motions or periods of time involvedin surgical suturing as the needle carrier is also the carrier anddispenser of extended lengths of suture material whether it be thread,catgut, silk, nylon, wire and the like.

' It is a further object to provide such a device which may also beemployed in site preparation such as removal of hair from about thewound, trimming wound edges and anaesthetizing and/or medicating andanaesthetizing the area to be sutured.

In general the present invention is accomplished by a surgical stitchinginstrument comprising a tubular body, means mounting a thread spool atone end thereof, means mounting a hollow surgical needle at the otherend thereof, a recess shaped for insertion of the ball of an operatorsthumb in the instrument adjacent the needle mounting means, an openingin the instrument for the passage of thread from a spool mounted thereininto the recess and an opening in the instrument for the passage ofthread from the recess into the lumen of a hollow needle mountedthereon.

The invention will be more particularly described in reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a surgical instrument constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structures shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate various forms of hollow needles employablewith the device illustrated in FIGS. 1- and 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the instruments shown in FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8a, 8b, and c comprise shavings of various forms of hollow needleswhich may be employed with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6and 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another form of a surgical instrumentconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the instruments shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a view of a typical collapsible wall syringe usable with theinstrument shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of still another form of the surgicaltool of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 12 including a needleprotector associated with a surgical scaple;

FIG. 14 is a section substntially on line 14-14 of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a section substantially on line 15-15 of FIG. 13.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS.

1 and 2, 10 generally designates a surgical instrument comprising a bodyportion 12 which has means at end 14 for rotatably mounting a reel orspool 16 and means at end 18 for reception of a hollow surgical needle20.

The body portion 12 is provided with an internal bore 22 which opens at24, at end 14, and at 26 adjacent a recess 28 adjacent end 18.

The spool or reel 16 is rotatably mounted on an axle or pivot pin 30removably receivable in suitable bores at end 14. The reel 16 receivesthe selected suture material 32 which is threaded through the bore 22 inthe body 12.

The hollow suture needle 20 is mounted in a nose piece 34 such that aportion 36 of the needle projects forwardly of the instrument and aportion 38 projects inwardly of the instrument to terminate in therecess 28 whereby the suture thread or suture material 32 may be fedthrough the hollow needle to project outwardly therefrom asillustratedin the drawings; The amount of thread to be employed informing a suture is conveniently expelled from the projecting end of thehollow needle 20 by the surgeons thumb 40, FIG. 2, working in the recess28 in a push-lift-retract motion.

It will be particularly noted that the surgical needle 20 has abeveledand sharpened tip 42 which assists in penetration of the skin, muscleand other tissue and at the same time presents a sharpened edge whichthe surgeon can employ in cutting of the suture material. The unit mayalso include a nipple 44 provided with a bore 45 whereby the needle andholder may be placed at right angles to the body 10 as shown in brokenlines in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate other hollow needle types which might bereceived on the end of the surgical instrument in place of the straightneedle 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 with the needles beingdesignate 20' and 20".

Referring particularly to FIGS. 6 and 7, a modified form of the presentinvention is shown with the surgical instrument being designated andcomprising a body portion 52 provided with a large bore 54 at one end56. The bore 54 is capped by a cap element 58 which may have externalthreads which mate with internal threads adjacent end 56 of bore 54 orthe cap 58 may be retained by frictional engagement.

The large bore 54 receives a spool 60 of suture material with the looseend being payed out through a small bore 62 which extends to the forwardend 64 of the instrument 50. The end 64 receives a hollow needle 66which is frictionally inserted therein with its internal end forming acontinuation of the bore 62.

In this form of the invention, as in the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the forward end of the surgical instrument is provided with a thumbreceivable recess 68 which extends into the bore 62 whereby the surgeonsthumb may be employed to feed suture material through the hollow needle66. As previously described, the hollow needle 66 may be shaped asillustrated or have various curvatures as shown at 66, 66 and 66" inFIGS. 8a, b and 0.-

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a surgical instrumentvery similar in form and function to the surgical instrument 10,illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The surgical instrumentincludes a reel 102 which carries the suture material which is fed tothe bore 104 of the body of the instrument which bore feeds into anenlarged recess 106 adjacent the forward end of the instrument 106. Therecess performs the function of recess 28 of the FIGS. 1 and 2 form ofthe invention and in addition is shaped to receive a flexible wallsyringe 108 with the pointed end 110 being insertable in the forwardportion 112 of the bore 104 such that when the syringe 108 is in theposition illustrated in FIG. 110 the rearward beveled and sharpened end114 of the hollow surgical needle 116 will pierce the sealed tip 110whereby the surgeon may express medicament from the syringe 8 throughthe hollow needle at the surgical site with such insertion being carriedout with or without the suture or surgical thread 116 being within thehollow needle.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 through 15, a further form of the presentinvention is shown with the surgical instrument being similar in form tothat shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and being generally designated 150. Thespool or bobbin 152, retained in the enlarged bore 154 of the body 157of the device, feeds suture material 160 through a bore 162 and thelumen of a hollow surgical needle 164. The assembly also includes anenlarged recess 166 which receives the surgeons thumb for feeding thesuture material through the hollow needle 164 and in addition the recess166 is adapted to receive a syringe 108 similar in nature to thatdescribed in reference to FIG. 11. The extended sealed end 110 of thesyringe 108 is pierced by the sharpened beveled rearward end of thehollow surgical needle 164 as previously discussed in reference to theform of the invention shown in FIGS. 9, and 11. This form of theinvention also includes a needle protecting sheath 170 having a taperedbore 172 adapted to slip over the needle 164 and the tip 174 of thesurgical instrument. The needle protector 170 is provided with aremovable scaple or blade 176 having a cutting edge 178 as more clearlyshown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15.

It will be recognized that the needle protector and surgical pointsillustrated in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 may also be employed with the formsof the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 6 and 7 and 9 and 10.

From the foregoing detailed description of several forms of myinvention, it will be seen that all of the aims and objects hereinbefore set forth and others are fully accomplished.

I claim:

1. A surgical stitching instrument comprising a tubular body; a threadspool mounted at one end of the tubular body; a hollow surgical needlemounted at the other end of the tubular body; an arcuate recess of asize and shape for the reception of the ball of an operators thumbpositioned in the tubular body adjacent the hollow surgical needle; afirst passage way for the passage of thread from said spool into thearcuate recess; a second passage way at the opposite end of the arcuaterecess for the passage of thread, bridging said recess, into the lumenof the hollow needle mounted on the tubular body; whereby the operator'sthumb has positive thread feeding and thread immobilizing contact withthe thread in the zone of the arcuate recess.

2. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 1 including anopening in the tubular body adjacent the second passage waycommunicating with lumen of the hollow needle mounted thereon andadapted to receive the outlet of a medicament syringe.

3. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein theopening in the tubular body communicating with the lumen of the hollowneedle is adjacent the arcuate recess. 7

4. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 including a needleprotecting cap having a surgical blade on the exterior thereof.

5. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the hollowsurgical needle mounting at the other end of the tubular body includes areceptor positioned to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body. l

1. A surgical stitching instrument comprising a tubular body; a threadspool mounted at one end of the tubular body; a hollow surgical needlemounted at the other end of the tubular body; an arcuate recess of asize and shape for the reception of the ball of an operator''s thumbpositioned in the tubular body adjacent the hollow surgical needle; afirst passage way for the passage of thread from said spool into thearcuate recess; a second passage way at the opposite end of the arcuaterecess for the passage of thread, bridging said recess, into the lumenof the hollow needle mounted on the tubular body; whereby theoperator''s thumb has positive thread feeding and thread immobilizingcontact with the thread in the zone of the arcuate recess.
 2. A surgicalstitching instrument as defined in claim 1 including an opening in thetubular body adjacent the second passage way communicating with lumen ofthe hollow needle mounted thereon and adapted to receive the outlet of amedicament syringe.
 3. A surgical stitching instrument as defined inclaim 2 wherein the opening in the tubular body communicating with thelumen of the hollow needle is adjacent the arcuate recess.
 4. A surgicalinstrument as defined in claim 1 including a needle protecting caphaving a surgical blade on the exterior thereof.
 5. A surgicalinstrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the hollow surgical needlemounting at the other end of the tubular body includes a receptorpositioned 90* to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body.